Too much exercise + not enough calories = weight gain :(

[Kthump 18]

I am close to 3 years out. I lost rapidly at first - close to 90 lbs. I have been faithfully exercising every day. I get anywhere between 15k-25k "steps" per day. Typically, I get roughly 90 "active minutes" per day - frequently more. I am quite certain that my body is in "starvation mode" - as I have actually gained about 15 pounds.

I still don't feel hunger, so I tend not to eat an awful lot. I get full very quickly and I find it quite hard to get enough calories in most days. I realize that probably 50% of my problem is in my head. I am fearful of overeating - and I find it really hard to eat when I have no appetite. I do realize that I need to make some changes - as this is clearly not working to my benefit. I will try to increase my caloric intake to see if this makes a difference.

Has anyone else made the same mistake? Did you have any luck when you increased your calories? How far out were you? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! Kim

[Elode 8,093]

You may very well be putting on muscle too from all the exercising so don't discredit that!

[Kthump 18]

That is certainly some of it, but my stomach and upper torso have gotten larger. (My calves, legs and arms are smaller, however.) It's like I'm storing fat so that I can survive a famine. Ughhhh. I just have to get beyond this. Either exercise less and eat the same, or continue to exercise a lot - and try to take in more calories. I hate to say it, but I regret working out so much / so quickly.

Thanks for letting me vent.

[IcanMakeit 1,318]

I agree with @Elode. Exercise builds muscle. You may be replacing fat with muscle.

But are you measuring and logging your food? Be certain that you are really keeping track of the actual calories consumed. Then maybe take a few weeks worth of logs and talk to a nutritionist.

Also I have read that you should only raise your calories on days that you exercise the most, and reduce your calories on rest days.

I hope you find a solution.

[Elode 8,093]

Yep raise your calories and see if that helps

[Kthump 18]

I definitely will try. I need to be diligent about logging, as well. I actually just started again this AM. Thanks for the advice.

[B-52 7,113]

With me, it was the opposite....the more calories I could burn per day as opposed to the my daily calorie intake, the better.

3500 calories roughly equals 1 lb...so if you eat 1000 calories, to loose weight you must burn 1350 calories that day.

In terms of one's metabolism, that is another issue....but I have always worked out first thing in the morning, around 5 am, on a empty stomach. Then had a high Protein recovery shake after my workout.

This way I was burning stored fat as my source of energy, rather than recently eaten food.

My workouts consist of running 3-5 miles, then doing weights.

I'm also 63 years old.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

To the OP:

How much are you eating -- calories, Protein grams, carb grams, etc.?

And what kind of foods are you eating? What are some typical days' menus for you?

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

its true at least it is for me..

if i take in more calories than i burn off (ate or drank 3500 calories is a pound whether is lean Protein, a Protein shake, french fries, or apples) then we will not lose and can gain..this is how i got super morbid obese...def measure your loss by clothes..if you are losing inches, you are losing actual weight..DEF feed your body with food/good calories vs empty calories...

[tamg26k 479]

I have been working out 4-5 days a week and increased my calories on the days I work out. Normally I would only take in about 600-700 calories a day (4 1/2 months post op). On the days I work out, I increase it to about 1000 by adding 2 Protein shakes. It is still really hard for me to add the calories with actual food so the Protein Shakes work well. It also increase my Protein total on workout days to about 120 grams. This has worked pretty good for me.

[Chrystee 838]

What kind of exercise? You say steps, but what's your heart rate. You should try to get your heart rate up to around 70-80% max a few times a week.. You get used to the same exercise (i.e. walking)

[LumpySpacePrincess 594]

There is a huge difference between gaining weight and gaining fat. You would have to be eating a lot to gain 15 pounds of pure fat.

There are way too many factors that could be causing you to gain weight: hormone fluctuations, Water retention, muscle gain, Constipation, etc. If you are eating fewer calories than you burn, you will lose fat. The theory of starvation mode isn't relevant for people who still have excess body fat. The body is too intelligent to make you gain weight or not lose weight if you lower your calories. Your fat is only stored when you are taking in more than your body can burn (burning it is the only way it can get rid of it!). Your body doesn't have a set point at which it says "gee, I should save this for later in case I don't get enough." Starvation point has been studied extensively and really only present in people who have very low body fat percentage and basically lived on nothing. If starvation mode were true at our weights, people who are anorexic wouldn't be able to lose as much as they do. This is probably over-simplifying it, but you get the point.

What does matter are the types of foods you are taking in. Protein and Produce before Carbs and Crap! Go back to eating like you did 6 weeks post-op: lots of Protein and Water, very little of anything else. You might be taking in too many carbohydrates that are being burned for energy instead of your stored body fat, and if you eat an excess of carbs your body will store the extra as fat or water.

All that being said, I didn't exercise while I was still trying to lose. Whenever I did, my weight loss would slow or stall. Once I cut it out, I would lose a steady 3 pounds per week. My weight has been stable for about 5 months, so I have taken up exercising again. So I do agree with you that exercising with very low calorie diet may be slowing you down, I don't think it would cause you to gain. For that, you need to look at other factors about your diet and your routine. Are you snacking without realizing it? Many do. Keep tracking so you can see where your problem areas are.

Good luck!

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

Our bodies are so mysterious and I don't think it is quite as simple as calories in = calories out. Having said that, I am skeptical of starvation mode. About 10 months ago, I went through a rough patch and just stopped eating (not intentional, I just could not eat due to emotional upset). I had been at goal for over a year and yet I lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks and kept it off for quite a while. It was not a good thing, I didn't look or feel good - but surely, eating close to zero while remaining active - I lost weight.

I am better now.

I just started kickboxing which is very intense. I made a mistake yesterday and didnt have enough carbs/calories in me so barely made it through the high energy portion. Usually exercise depresses my appetite, but an hour after class I was off the hook hungry. I think I need to eat more, early in the day on kickboxing days since it is very high intensity.

I agree with the advice you have gotten to log your food - every bite - and really see what you are eating from a calorie/carb/protein point of view. I can visualize undereating causing a weight loss stall, but i can't visualize it causing a 15 pound fat gain. Of course, the bariatric world is full of mysteries...

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

spaceprincess - I suspect the stalls you got during weight loss phase was Water retention. When you exercise, the muscles hang onto Water. I exercised through the whole weight loss phase and over time, it evens out and doesn't cause stalls - it is really the starting up is when you see it.

I think you should take lumpy out of your name.